Sprinkler-head



E. E. CLARK.

SPRINKLER HEAD.

APPLICATION men m. Is. 19:9.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

\nventor Ezra E.C\Q,TK by WSMZLAQGM Attys.

THE COLUMBIA PLANonRAPu cn., WASHINGTON, n. c.

EZRA E. CL IR/K, 0E NEW 0 N' M SACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fi ed Ja ua y 16 19.19. Serial No. 271,3?9.

To all whom it may concern: Be itknown that I, EZRA Newtonville, countyof Middlesex,'State of Massachusetts, have invented anImprovement inSprinkler-Heads, ofwhich the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on thedrawing representing like parts. I

This invention relates to sprinkler heads of that known type whichcomprises a body having a discharge port and a yoke portion carrying avalve for the discharge port, two strut members in the form of a togglefor normally holding the valve closed and each provided with an arm anda fusible link connection between said arms for maintaining normally thestrut members in their operative position. 7 I

In many sprinkler heads of this type the construction is such that thestress. on the fusible link due to holding the valve to its seat is apulling or tension stress. I It is the principal object of my presentinvention to provide an improved sprlnkler head of this .type which isso constructed that the stress on the fusible link will be a compressionstress rather than a pulling or tension stress. As a result it ispossible to employ a fusible link having a simpler construction than isrequired where the link.

is subjected to a pulling stress. I accomplishthis herein by soarranging the arms I In order to give an understanding of my invention,1- have illustrated in the drawingsa selected embodiment thereof whichwill now be described, after which the novel features will be pointedout in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a side view of a sprinkler head embodying my invention; Fig.2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig 1; Fig. 3 is a f g entary view showlg E. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at extending fromthe toggle members that the toggle strut members with their crossingarms. F1g.4 1s a sectlon on the line H, F1g.'

1, with the fusible member omitted.

' i The body of the sprinkler head is shown at1and may have any suitableor usual construction. It is provided with the usual Patented Oct. 14,1919.

exteriorly re aded portion 2 which is adapted to be connected to'thewater" pipe of the sprinkler system and which is formed with theusual discharge opening 3 that is normally closed bythe valve 4. Thebody 1 is also shaped to present the yoke portion )5 which carries atits upper end a screw 6 having the deflector 7. The valve 4 is normallyheld to its seat by two strut members 8 and 9 whichengage each other at10 and which have a toggle action, the strut member 9 bearing againstthe valve 4:v and the strut member 8 bearing against the screw 6. Theparts thus far described are or may be all as usual in sprinkler. headsof this ype and form no part of my present invention.

- I In sprinkler heads of this type the toggle strut members 8. and 9are frequently provided with laterally-extendingarms which are connectedby a fusible connection, the

latter normally holding the toggle members n their 'operativelposltion,'as shown, but becoming fused and thereby liberating'the strut membersSand '9. and allowing the valve f1 to be unseated when the temperature rses abovea predetermined point.

In my invention the strut members 8 and I 9 are provided with the arms11' and 12,

respectively, with which a fusible link 18' cooperates to hold the strutmembers in their operative position. The arms 11 and 12, however, areshaped so that they have a crossed relation whereby the end 14 of thearm 11 extending from the upper "strut" fmember 8 is situated below theend 15 0f the arm 12 extending from the lower strut "member 9. Thefusible link 13 is situated between theends '14: and 15 of the arms andthus normally holds the strut members in' "their operative position.

Because of the crossed relation of the arms 11 and'12, the pressure ofthe valve againstthe strut members 8 and, 9 will tend 7 .05 to cause hend 14: and. 1 of the r s to" move toward each other and hence thefusible link 13 will be subjected to a compression stress.

This fusible link 13 may have any suit able construction. I have hereinshown it as comprising two plates 16'a'nd 17 which are connected bysuitable fusible material 18. The two plates 16 and 17 overlap eachother and the plate 17 is provided with the offset portion 19 thereby toform a shoulder against which the lower end of the plate 16 rests. Theoffset of this portion 19 and the manner in which the plate 16 engagesit is such as to produce a leverage by which the compression stress willtend to swing the plates relative to each other about the lower edge ofthe plate 16 as an axis and thus separate said plates, such tendencybeing resisted by the fusible material 18. The upper edge ofthe plate 16is shown'as having a notch 20 therein in which the end 15 of the arm 12is received and the offset portion 19 of the plate 17 is also providedwith a recess 21 in which the end 1 1 of the arm 11 is received. Theends 14 and 15 of the arms 11 and 12 are also shown as having notches 22therein in which the edges of the fusible link are received. Because ofthe fact that the link 13 is subjected to compression stress rather thanto pulling or a tensile stress, the construction of the link issimplified. V I

Owing to the fact that the arms 11 and 12 have a crossed relation, itwill follow that when the fusible linkgives way, the pressure of thevalve against the toggle struts will cause the ends of the arms to movetoward each other, as seen in dotted lines, Fig. 3. In order that thesearms may not strike each other and thus become locked, I will preferablyso arrangethem that their movement toward each other takes place indi-fierent vertical planes. The strut members 8 and 9 are each shown ashaving a triangular shape, and they are arranged with their sides 10'engaging each other and with their apices engaging the screw 6 and valve4, respectively. The sides 10 constitute the axis about which they turnwhen they buckle after the fusible link has given way.

Looking at Figs. 1 and 4, the arm 11 extends from the upper strut member8 at the left-hand edge thereof while the arm 12 extends from the lowerstrut member 9 at the right-hand edge thereof, and both arms are bowedsomewhat and are so designed that their ends 14 and 15 are locatedsubstantially over each other, although I 1133 6 shown the end 15 of thearm 12 as situated slightly to the right of the end 14 of the arm- 11 soas to avoid any possibility of the arms striking each other when thelink gives way.

By means of the construction shown the arms 11 and 12 are separatedsuiiiciently so that there is no danger of their becoming corrodedtogether, thus rendering the device inoperative.

I claim:

1. Ina sprinkler head of the type having a body provided with adischarge opening, a valve for closing said opening, and toggle elementsfor holding the valve closed, the combination with said toggle elements,of an arm extending from each element, said arms having a crossedrelation with the ends extending beyond the crossing point, and afusible member interposed between the ends of the arms and subjectednormally to a compression stress.

2. In a sprinkler head of the type having a body provided with adischarge opening,

a valve for closing said opening, and toggle elements for holding thevalve closed, the combination with said toggle elements, of an armextending from each element, said arms having a crossed relation andoccupying different vertical planes, and a fusible member interposedbetween the ends of said arms. I

3. In a sprinkler head of the type having a body provided with adischarge opening,

a valve for closing said opening, and two toggle strut members forholding the valve closed, the combination with said strut members, of anarm extending from each member, the end of the arm extending from thelower member being situated above the end of the arm extending from theupper member, and a fusible member interposed between the ends of saidarms.

I. In a sprinkler head of the type having a body provided with adischarge opening, a valve for closing said opening, and upper and lowertoggle strut members for holding the valve closed, the combination withsaid strut members, of an arm extending from one side of the uppermember, another arm extending from the opposite side of the lowermember, said arms having a crossed relation so that the end of thefirst-named arm is situated below the end of the other arm, and afusible member interposed between the ends of the arms.

5. In a sprinkler head of the type having a body provided with adischarge opening, a valve for closing said opening, and upper and lowertoggle strut members for holding the valve closed, the combination withsaid strut members, of an arm extending from one side of the uppermember, another arm extending from the opposite side of the lowermember, said arms being bowed and having a crossed relation so that theend of the first-named arm is situated below the end of the other arm,and a fusible member interposed between the ends of said arms.

6. In a sprinkler head of the type having a body provided with adischarge opening,

a valve for closing said opening, and toggle elements for holding thevalve closed, the combination with said toggle elements, of an armextending from each element, said arms having a crossed relation, and afusible member interposed between the ends of the arm and subjectednormally to a compression stress, said member comprising two overlappingplates, one of which has a shoulder against which the edge of the otherplate rests, and fusible material connecting said plates.

7 In a sprinkler head of the type having Copies of this patent may beobtained for a body provided with a discharge opening, a valve forclosing said opening, and toggle elements for holding the valve closed,the combination with said toggle elements, of

an arm extending from each element, said arms having a crossed relationwith the crossing point situated between the toggle elements and theends of the arms, and a fusible member interposed between said en s.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EZRA E. CLARK.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

